Antipasto Salad aka Kitchen Sink Salad

So, I wanted to make a pasta salad. I hunted around for what was in the pantry and fridge and kinda threw it all together. That seems to be how a lot of my cooking goes :) Well, it was pretty dang tasty. I made a double recipe because I brought half to work, but feel free to cut it in half. Also substitute or leave out or add what you wish, hence, the kitchen sink salad. Enjoy.

First get your water boiling with about a tsp of salt. I also like to add about a tbl of oil to keep it from boiling over. When the water is boiling, add your pasta and boil as directed. Barilla says 8 minutes to al dente, and that's how you want it, because it will absorb liquid from the dressing and get softer. Drain, rinse and set aside.

2

Drain the pepper rings. Put them right on top of the rinsed and draining pasta. The juice will add a nice flavor. You can choose the hot banana pepper rings, if you prefer.

3

Now, shred your carrots, or you can cheat like me and buy the already shredded ones from the produce section.

4

Slice up your red onion into thin strips.

5

Cut (and de-pitt if needed) the olives in half, or leave them whole. It's up to you!

6

Cut the pepperoni into quarters. I do it all in one big stack with a chef's knife. You'll have to separate them a bit though, as they'll stick together.

7

Cut the genoa in sixths, same as above, separate as needed.

8

Cut that big block of provolone in half and start cutting that into strips, about 2 inches in length.

Make your dressing by mixing the salad dressing with the mayo and whisk it all up until blended. You now have a creamy balsamic! Or use Italian, Ranch, Caesar, whatever!

11

Toss the salad with the dressing until it's all coated. Refrigerate overnight, or as long as you can stand it before you have to eat some. Take it out of the fridge and give it a little toss. I like it best at room temperature, but to each their own. There is mayo in it, so so don't leave it sitting out too long!

12

A true antipasto platter would have artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers proscuiotto, soppresetta, mozzerella and tomatoes. I didn't have those on hand, or I probably would have added those too. Enjoy!